When I purchased the Nait 50 it replaced the 552DR/500 in the main setup, the grin from the very first note is an understatement, this amp delivered in spades and reminded me why I purchased Naim gear 30+ years ago.
The 500 sold pretty quickly but I struggled to sell the 552, woke up one morning and decided to buy a 4 year old 250DR and keep the 552, this is the best decision I’ve made in a decade, restored everything I love about the Naim sound.
Remember your journey. I should never put my nait 50 in the main system…
Never heared 250dr - but it must be a beast from what I read here …
And could also be a try for me, if things will fail.
But think that the 606 will like the extra 500 power
I’ve had both the non-DR and DR’d 500 but I’m not sure why anyone would say that the DR’d versions lacks coherence and PRAT? My recollection before and after the change was the opposite. By comparison I found the non-DR sounding a bit crude in the same way the 135’s can sound a bit crude. I remember it also sounded a bit relentless when up very loud.
The DR version is a different fish, far greater poise and delicacy. Like someone had just added colour and drama to music that makes everything sound much more natural and life like. As many on here have said the DR version should have had a name change from 500 to maybe 750 it represented that much of an upgrade. I think if you were to put an S1 on the front of a 500DR it gets uncomfortably close to the Statement amps. Why would you not want that!
The DR upgrade on my old 3x NAP500 set Active was very large - much much larger than the DR on my then 552.
The 500DR exploded with more body and life with far deeper low-bass articulation and power. The old leads would have choked on that and the SL leads keep that in-check and clean; otherwise it may impact things like timing, although, I think I already had the SL leads before I had my 500 DR done, but unclear on that.
Those were the days - I had my 500 upgraded to DR and now the 3x 500 to DR and that was it - no more HiFi spend - Retired and had to be careful with funds…
…then then the S1 Pre compared to 552DR …Nooooo
…then the ND555 compared to my CD555 …arrrrg had to happen - now it is all done.
Yes - maybe he will… but have not done it with all updates. 552 was decided after one evening.
But it will be difficult to do it one after another.
I think I will look out the 500dr and second 555ps separately.
When both is getting a go the great stacking drama begins.
On Monday the fuse will be changed to lower sensitivity (c instead of b) by a professional
had to happen - now it is all done.